Kiosk



Dec. 1, 1970 A. DANIN 3,543,454

KIOSK Filed Aug. 15, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 34 FIG./ 4 an ATTORNEYS A. DANIN Dec. 1, 1970 KIOSK Filed Aug. 15, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet i:

INVENTOR. ALE x DANIN ATTORNEYS Dec. 1, 1970 A. DANIN 3,

KIOSK Filed Aug. 15, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ALEX DANIN ATTORNEYS Dec. 1,1970 A, DAMN 3,543,454

KIOSK Filed Aug. 15, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

I.\VI'.'.\'I'UI!. ALEX DANIN ATTORNEYS United States Patent "ice 3,543,454 KIOSK Alex Danin, 1080 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, N.Y. 10605 Filed Aug. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 752,916 Int. Cl. E04g 1/343; E0411 1/12 US. Cl. 52-36 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to kiosks.

As is well-known, it is possible for various municipalities to enjoy a certain income from kiosks. For such purposes kiosks may be situated at suitable locations to carry advertising matter, or they may take the form of enclosures used for vending purposes.

However, kiosks of this general type are not presently used to any large extent even though they will serve as a source of income for a municipality. The reason why such kiosks are not used to a greater extent is that the costs for constructing such kiosks is so great, as compared to the possible income which can be derived therefrom, that it is not at present economically feasible for a municipality to invest in the construction of large numbers of kiosks.

One of the reasons why the costs involved in the construction of such kiosks are so great is that different constructions are required for kiosks depending upon the purposes to be served thereby. Thus, where a kiosk is to be used for vending purposes it will have one construction, while if the kiosk is simply to be used for advertising purposes, it will have a complete different construction. Furthermore, special problems are encountered with kiosk constructions because of the fact that they are of relatively small size while at the same time being required to withstand severe weather conditions. The result is that conventional kiosks rapidly deteriorate and require high maintenance costs in order to remain in good, usable condition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a kiosk which will avoid the above drawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a kiosk which can be constructed at an extremely low cost while at the same time requiring minimum maintenance and being capable of withstanding severe weather conditions over a long period of time.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a single kiosk construction which is adapted to serve a multiplicity of purposes, so that dilferent kiosk structures are not required for different purposes.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a kiosk which can easily be converted from a construction serving one purpose to a construction serving another purpose.

3,543,454 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 According to the invention, the kiosk includes a single central column fixed to and extending upwardly from a suitable support such as a sidewalk. At its top end the column carries a roof which extends in all directions outwardly from the column. A plurality of panels extend downwardly from the roof with each panel carried at least in part by the roof. These panels terminate in bottom edges which are spaced above the support which carries the central column. A fastening means is carried by the central column and by the roof for releasably fastening to the roof and column panels which extend radially from the column toward the outer periphery of the roof to provide on the panels surfaces which may be used for advertisements, and this construction also provides between the panels spaces where people may stand beneath the roof to be protected from the weather with such a kiosk being located at a bus stop, for example. It is also possible, however, to provide panels releasably fastened to and extending downwardly from the roof, so as to be carried exclusively by the roof. Such an arrangement of panels is adapted to form an enclosure from which articles may be sold over a suitable counter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly schematic partly sectional elevation of one possible kiosk construction of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 shows part of the releasable fastening means of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a simplified isometric illustration of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a simplified isometric illustration of another construction where the kiosk has been converted to a different use;

FIG. 6 is a sectional plan view taken in the same plane as FIG. 2 but showing the structure of the kiosk when converted to the use shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective illustration of part of the structure in the interior of the kiosk of FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing how a counter is carried by the kiosk of FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevation schematically illustrating how it is possible for the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 4 to be adapted to accommodate devices such as telephones, dispensers, and the like; and

FIG. 11 is a top plan view showing how a group of the kiosks of the invention can be assembled into a cluster of any size.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, the kiosk 10 which is indicated in FIG. 1 includes a central column 12, in the form of a supporting pillar, fixed to and extending upwardly from a suitable support such as a sidewalk 14. As is indicated at the lower portion of FIG. 1, an elongated lower end of the column 12 is embedded in a body of concrete 16 which is situated in the ground 18 directly beneath the sidewalk 14.

The central column 12 may be in the form of a hollow steel pipe, having a diameter of six inches, for example, and with this construction suitable electrical conductors 20 which are underground can communicate with the hollow interior of the column 12 for a purpose referred to below.

- At its top end the column 12 has a flange 22 by means of which a roof 24 can be fixed to and carried by the column 12 at its top end.

The roof 24 is preferably of a precast concrete construction in which various fittings, fasteners, and the like are embedded as referred to below. The roof 24 is of a generally umbrella-shaped configuration and extends outwardly in all directions from the central column 12. At its inner central portion, the roof 24 fixedly carries a flange 26 formed with openings regstering with those of the flange 22, so that suitable fasteners can extend through the openings of the flanges for fixing the roof 24 to the top end of the column 12.

At the region of its central portion, the roof 24 carries at its underside suitable electrical fixtures in the form of sockets 28' for light bulbs 30, and the roof 24 may carry a central hollow tube 32 covered by a suitable removable cap 34 and through which electrical communication may be made with the sockets 28 for energizing the lamps 30. However, through the underground wiring 20 it is possible to extend conductors upwardly along the interior of the column 12 to be electrically connected with the sockets 28. Thus, either through underground or overhead wiring it is possible to connect the lamps 30 to a suitable source of current, and switches for turning the lamps on and off may be carried directly at the sockets 28, for example.

The concrete roof 24 also has embedded therein, at the region of its outer periphery, a releasable fastening means serving to releasably fasten to the roof panels 36 which are also fastened to the column 12. As is apparent from FIG. 2, the roof 24 has an outer peripheral edge 37 and at the region of its periphery an inwardly directed side surface 38 both of which have the configuration of a regular hexagon. At corners of the hexagon 38 which are angularly spaced from each other by 60, bolts 40 which are embedded in the concrete of the roof 24 project inwardly from these corners and carry at the inner ends U-shaped fastening brackets 42 for respectively receiving outer upper edge regions of the panels 36 which are situated in the radial planes indicated in FIG. 2. At the places where they are received in the brackets 42, the panels 36 respectively have openings registering with openings in sidewalls of the brackets 42 so that suitable fasteners such as bolts and nuts may be passed through the brackets 42 and the openings in the panels 36 for releasably fastening them to the brackets 42.

At suitable elevations along the column 12 there are additional fasteners in the form of split rings 44 shown in FIG. 3. These split rings can be releasably fixed to the exterior of the column 12 by being clamped thereon through the fasteners 46. The split ring 44 has a pair of semicircular portions from one of which two pairs of fastening ears 48 extend while a third pair of ears 48 are integral with and extend from the other of the semicircular portions of the split ring 46. The pairs of ears 48 are formed with aligned openings and the inner edges of the panels are received between the pairs of ears 48 and have openings registering with those of the ears so that suitable fasteners may be provided for releasably fastening the panels 36 at their inner edges to the split rings 44 which are fixedly carried by the column 12.

Thus, with this construction the panels 36 will be releasably fixed to and carried by the roof 24 and the column 12 with the several panels 36 defining between themselves compartments situated beneath the roof 24. It is to be noted that the panels 36, all of which are identical, terminate in bottom edges which are spaced above the support 14. For example, the bottom edges of the panels 36 may be situated at a distance of 8 inches above the surface of the sidewalk 14. The bottom edge of the roof 24, at its outer periphery may be situated at a height of almost 7 feet above the bottom edges of the panels, while the roof itself may have a total height on the order of one and onehalf feet. The diameter of the roof may be on the order f five feet.

Thus, with this simple construction a rugged, practically maintenance-free structure is provided capable of being situated at bus stops, for example. People waiting at the bus stops can poistion themselves beneath the roof 24 and between the panels 36 to be protected from the weather, and at night the lamps 30 can be il1uminated. The exterior surfaces of the panels 36 may be rented to advertisers, so that in addition to serving the community as protection at bus stops, the kiosk of the invention can also serve as a source of income for advertisers who wish to place advertisements on the panels 36. The panels can be made from simple sheets of plywood, so that with the precast concrete roof 2.4, the plywood panels 36, and the simple fixing of a column 12 to the ground, the structure of the invention can be set up for use at an extremely low cost.

The manner in which the kiosk 10 described above appears is apparent from FIG. 4 which shows the sidewalk 14 with the central column 12 extending upwardly therefrom. The panels 36 are shown extending radially from the column 12 with the roof 24 situated thereover. Of course, more than three panels 36 may be used and the size of the structure can be varied.

At certain locations it may be desirable to have vending kiosks, and for this purpose the basic structure of the invention described above can easily be converted to serve as a vending kiosk. As may be seen from FIG. 5 such a vending kiosk will include the same roof 24 and central coulmn 12. However, in this case the panels 36 are repositioned or replaced by a second group of panels 50 releasably carried by and extending downwardly from the roof 2 4 at the region of its outer periphery, with these panels 50 being carried exclusively by the roof 24 and forming an enclosure beneath the latter. From this enclosure it is possible for articles to be sold over the counter 52. Panels may be added to panels 36 to form the second panel group, or a separate group may be provided.

As is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, the releasable fastening means includes in addition to the structure shown in FIG. 3 and the bolts 40 and brackets 42, threaded studs 54 embedded in the concrete roof 24 and projecting inwardly beyond and located adjacent the corners of the surface 38, these studs 54 being situated at an elevation somewhat lower than the brackets 42 and bolts 40 and being out of alignment therewith.

With this construction, after the panels 36 are removed, the panels 50 can be suspended from the studs 54, with these panels 50 also terminating in bottom edges spaced above the support 14. The panels 50 are each provided at the region of their top edge with openings which respectively receive the studs 54, and then suitable washers and nuts can be applied on the threaded studs to releasably fix the panels 50 to the roof 24 extending downwardly from and exclusively carried thereby.

As may be seen from FIG. 6, the panels 50 includes a pair of panels 50a and 50b hingedly connected to each other at their adjoining edges by hinges 56, so that these hingedly interconnected panels 50a and 5012 can be fixed to and extend along a pair of the flat surfaces of the hexagon 38. A third panel 500 is hingedly connected with a relatively short panel 50d which extends only to the height indicated in FIG. 5 and which supports the counter 52. A fourth panel 50e is hingedly connected with a second short panel 50 which is of the same height a sthe panel 50d and which also supports the counter 52.

The edges of panels 50a and 50b distant from the hinges 56 carry angle brackets 58 which overlap edges of the panels 500 and 50e and which are formed with openings receiving bolts passing through the panels 500 and 5% and the angle brackets 58 which may, for example, be permanently riveted to the panels 50a and 50b, so that in this way the panels 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50:: which are directly carried by the roof 24 are all fastened to each other to define the enclosure beneath the roof 24. The shorter panels 50] and 50d, which terminate in bottom edges situated at the same elevation as the bottom edges of the remaining panels, above the surface of the sidewalk 14, are connected at their adjoining edges by angle brackets 60 identical with the brackets 58, permanently fixed to the panel 50d and releasably fastened with the panel 50f by bolts passing through openings of the panel 50f which register with openings of the angle brackets 60.

As is apparent from FIGS. 8 and 9, the counter 52 carries at its underside parallel rows of =L-shaped brackets 62 defining between themselves spaces for receiving the top edges of the panels 50d and 50 so that in this way the counter 52 is removably supported directly on the top edges of the shorter panels 50 and 50d.

At the interior of the enclosure formed with this construction shelves 6 1- are provided for carrying stock. These shelves may have the triangular configuration shown in FIGS. 6- and 7 and have at their corners legs 66 projecting downwardly so that a series of such shelves can be stacked one above the other.

Thus, when it is desired to convert a kiosk from a construction such as that shown in FIG. 4 into a construction such as that shown in FIG. 5, it is only necessary to remove the panels 36 and replace them with the panels 50 releasably fastened to each other and to the roof 24 in the manner described above. The counter 52 is very quickly placed on the short panels and the shelves 64 are quickly situated in the interior of the enclosure so that in an extremely short period of time and with a minimum of labor it is possible to convert the kiosk from the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 to that shown in FIG. 5. The panels of the vending kiosk of FIG. 5 can also carry advertisements at their exterior surfaces.

Of course, it is possible to quickly and easily reconvert the kiosk from the arrangement of FIG. 5 to that of FIG. 4. When the panels of FIGS. 5 and 6 are removed, the counter 52 is simply lifted off the shorter panels, and the fastening brackets 58 and 60 are unfastened, permitting the panels to be removed from the studs 54. The panels 50a and 50b can be folded against each other by way of the hinges 56, and the panels 50c and 50d can be folded against each other by way of the hinges interconnecting the same. Of course, the counter 52 has previously been removed from the shorter panels. In the same way the panels 50:: and 50) can be folded against each other by way of their hinge interconnection. Thus, the entire panel and counter assembly is broken down and collapsed to occupy a minimum amount of space, and this structure can be stored at any desired location together with the shelves 6 4. Then the panels 36 can be set up to provide the kiosk 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. It is to be noted that when this latter kiosk is replaced by that of FIG. 5, the panels 36 also can be placed against each other to occupy an extremely small amount of space and to be stored at any desired location.

When the panels 36 are used to form at least part of the second group of panels 50, these panels 36 will of course be provided with additional openings wherever required to receive the studs 54, and it will be noted that whether panels 50 or panels 36 are used, each panel is supported at its top edge only by a pair of the studs 54. Where panels 36 are used, they can simply hang freely without being interconnected in any way by any hinges or other connecting elements. Thus, it is possible simply to provide a few additional panels 36 which can be added to the panels 36 used for the arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 4, so that such panels 36 can then be used in the arrangement of FIGS. 5 and 6. If there are gaps between the panels or gaps between the top edges of the panels and the curved bottom edges of the roof, such gaps are immaterial or, if desired, may be closed with suitable fillers.

As is indicated in FIG. 10, it is possible to mount in any suitable way between a pair of adjoining panels 36 of the kiosk of FIGS. 1 and 4 shelves 70 which may carry any suitable devices for the convenience of individuals in the vicinity of the kiosk. Thus, the left shelf 70 of FIG.

6 10 supports a telephone 74, while the right shelf 70 of FIG. 10 supports a dispenser 72 such as a coin operated machine for dispensing any desired articles.

Referring to FIG. 11, it will be seen that because of the hexagonal configuration of the outer peripheral edges 37 of the roofs 24 of the kiosk of the invention, any desired number of these kiosks may be located one directly next to the other to form a cluster of the kiosks of the invention. In this way, in the even-t that the area which is to be covered is substantially larger than the kiosk of the invention, any desired number of the kiosks of the invention can be assembled together into a cluster of the desired size, and because of the hexagonal configuration of the roofs 24, the roofs of the cluster of kiosks will directly butt against each other to form a continuous, uninterrupted roof structure covering an area of any desired size. The cluster of kiosks can then be used in any desired manner such as to form entirely or in part an enclosure for any desired activities, or the panels can be arranged for display purposes.

Thus, with the exceedingly simple and inexpensive construction of the invention, which is rugged enough to be capable of withstanding all sorts of severe weather conditions, it is possible to provide different types of kiosks at a cost which makes it feasible for a municipality to set up these kiosks and to achieve an added source of income therefrom.

What is claimed is:

1. A kiosk comprising a central column, in the form of a supporting pillar, carried by and extending upwardly from a support such as a sidewalk, a roof carried by said column at an upper end thereof and extending outwardly in all directions beyond said column, a plurality of panels extending downwardly from said roof with each panel carried at least in part by said roof, said panels respectively terminating in lower edges which are spaced above said support, and said lower edges of said panels and said suport defining between themselves a vertically extending space which is completely free and unobstructed, and releasable fastening means releasably fastening said panels to said roof so that said panels may be removed or replaced while said roof remains connected with said column.

2. A kiosk comprising a central column, in the form of a one-piece supporting pillar, carried by and extending upwardly from a suport such as a sidewalk to a predetermined height which remains unchanged, a roof carried by said column at an upper end thereof and extending outwardly in all directions beyond said coumn, a plurality of panels extending downwardly from said roof with each panel carried at least in part by said roof, said panels being carried exclusively by said roof and defining an enclosure which is situated beneath said roof, and releasable fastening means releasably fastening said panels to said roof so that said panels may be removed or replaced while said roof remains connected with said column.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein a counter extends between a pair of said panels to provide a surface over which articles may be sold from the interior from said enclosure.

4. A kiosk comprising a central column, in the form of a supporting pillar, carried by and extending upwardly from a support such as a sidewalk, a roof carried by said column at an upper end thereof and extending outwardly in all directions beyond said column, and a plurality of panels extending downwardly from said roof with each panel carried at least in part by said roof, said panels having inner edges connected to said column and outer edges connected to said roof, said panels being situated in planes, respectlvely, which extend radially from said column.

5. A kiosk comprising a central column, in the form of a suporting pillar, carried by and extending upwardly from a support such as a sidewalk. a roof carried by said column at an upper end thereof and extending outwardly in all directions beyond said column, and a plurality of panels extending downwardly from said roof with each panel carried at least in part by said roof, :1 fastening means being carried by said roof and column for releasably fastening to said roof and column panels which extend radially from said column as well as for releasably fastening only to said roof panels which extend downwardly from said roof and define an enclosure beneath said roof.

6. A kiosk comprising a central column, in the form of a supporting pillar, carried by and extending upwardly from a support such as a sidewalk, a roof carried by said column at an upper end thereof and extending outwardly in all directions beyond said column, and a plurality of panels extending downwardly from said roof with each panel carried at least in part by said roof, a support means carried by at least one of said panels for supporting thereon a device to be used by individuals at the kiosk, said support means taking the form of a horizontal shelf extending between and carried by a pair of panels, and a device which is supported by said shelf being a telephone, dispenser, or the like.

7. The combination of claim 5 and wherein at least some of said panels which are fastened only to said roof are identical with panels capable of being fastened to said roof and column while extending radially from the latter,

8 so that the same panels which are used to extend radially from the column may also be used to extend downwardly from the roof to define at least part of an enclosure beneath said roof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 282,794 8/1883 Starling 5271 X 493,355 3/1893 Erickson 52234 X 2,245,705 6/1941 Norris 5236 X 3,153,303 10/1964 Wheeler 52--82 X 3,186,522 6/1965 McCauley 5281 X 3,233,346 2/1966 COrnberg 52234 X 3,289,363 12/1966 Patch 5280 X 3,377,754 4/1968 Russell 5228 X 2,563,886 8/1951 Taylor 5265 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,451,762 7/ 1966 France.

865,800 2/1953. Germany.

PRICE C. FAW, IR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

